Duplicity

The flyer on the table was a copy of a dictionary page with the word Duplicity ringed. This, no doubt, was to ensure that we all got the meaning of the word. A ploy often used in movies these days so that audiences who are second-language users of English, such as Americans, understand titles such as ‘Brassed Off’. Anyway those at my table were curious about this until we were urged to buy a copy of Richard Walne’s latest CD called – yes – Duplicity.

‘I wonder why he’s called it that?’ mused the lady to my right. ‘He’s a strange dude’ said the bearded, beaded, balding and stringy haired aging hippy type opposite being unaware that he had become irony personified. ‘True Bru’ said the student at the head of table wiping the last swig of Black Label from his lips. ‘The beer or Richard?’ I pondered…….but to business!

We, and many others, were at the Jazz Centre at Howard College last night to hear Richard Walne and friends play items from that latest CD. He started with a very average Falling in Love Again - the old Marlene Dietrich number. This was followed by his compositions in 1930’s style – all somewhat muted and sentimental. Granted the material was good with great chord progressions and vintage sound from his group of violin, guitar, piano, double-bass, sax and drums. The two ladies on vocals were great in their own right and an added bonus helping Richard round out his own singing.

But the concert never really ‘took off’ with the music – good that it was – too much of a muchness. This was until the encore where the melancholia seemed to vanish and they really swung sounding something like Stefan Grappelli at the Durban City Hall 30 years ago.

Then on the way out the penny eventually dropped; I think the main man is having women problems and therefore the title of the CD and the ‘my women has done me wrong’ type songs. Never mind Richard, it happens to all full spirited types’ You’ll get over it – perhaps it will take years or maybe all it will cost is a headache for a week. But it can, and does, inspire good music.

Duplicity is possessed by many but the CD can now be bought at local outlets.